Internetnews.com writes that “[a] broad coalition of some of the Internet’s leading brand names, public advocacy groups and grassroots organizations called on Congress today to immediately adopt a national broadband policy. The goal, the group said, is universal, affordable broadband for all Americans.”
The Register reports that “[t]he European Council has passed a law which extends the laws governing television broadcasters to companies providing video content online regardless of how it is transmitted. […] The directive has relaxed rules for advertisers, but still insists that product placements are signposted. It includes provisions for disabled access, protection for minors, and rights for people to access "extracts" of important events without having to pay for them. It prohibits programmes that incite religious or racial hatred.”
According to MSNBC, “[a]n independent European Union panel has launched an investigation into whether Google Inc.’s Internet search engine abides by European privacy rules. EU spokesman Pietro Petrucci said Friday that the 28-member panel, which advises the European Commission and EU governments on data protection issues, wants Google to address concerns about the company’s practice of storing and retaining user information for up to two years.”
InfoWorld warns that “[h]ackers are trying to play on business’ fear of legal action from customers to trick them into downloading a harmful program distributed through e-mail. The e-mails purport to come from the Better Business Bureau, an organization that monitors and arbitrates disputes between consumers and businesses in the U.S. and Canada. The e-mails assert that a customer lodged a complaint against the recipient’s business, according to a warning on the Web site of Websense, a security vendor.”
eWeek.com reports that “Microsoft is launching a slew of initiatives to help Web sites identify visitors. First, the company is kicking off four open-source projects to support the development of ID cards for online users. Microsoft is also releasing one of its identity management specs, Identity Selector Interoperability Profile, under its OSP (Open Specification Promise), meaning the specification is clear of licensing fees or patent worries. Finally, Microsoft is responding to users’ requests for better direct synchronization of identity information between Active Directory and the OpenLDAP Directory using Microsoft ILM (Identity Lifecycle Manager) 2007 by collaborating on an open-source project with Kernel Networks and Oxford Computer Group to create an OpenLDAP adapter for Microsoft ILM 2007.”